Huntley Meadows, morning of August 24, 2012

Turtles basking on a log in a marshy pond at Huntley Meadows Park in eastern Fairfax County.  These appear to be painted turtles (Chrysemys picta); see this Wikipedia article.

Quite prominent in the wetlands-meadow (among all the cat-tails) is a large white flower with five petals and a prominent purple center spot.

This is the swamp-rose mallow (Hibiscus moscheutos), a native species of hibiscus that, appropriately enough, prefers to grow in swampy areas.  See this Wikipedia article.

Hibiscuses are of course extremely showy flowers and thus widely grown in cultivation, such as this example (beneath a line of crapemyrtles) from the northeastern quadrant of the intersection of 3rd St and Pennsylvania Ave NW, near the Capitol in Washington, DC.

Interspersed among the swamp-rose mallows are the pink flowerheads of swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata).  The flowerheads are less rounded and the leaves smaller than those of the common milkweed (A. syriaca) usually found along the W&OD bike path in Reston (for which see this entry), although swamp milkweed does also occur in Reston (see this entry).  At Huntley Meadows the swamp milkweeds were attracting lots of butterflies, such as this Eastern tiger swallowtail (Papilio glaucus, see this Wikipedia entry), which, based on the absence of blue spots on its hindwing, appears to be a male.

Another swamp milkweed; this one is being noshed on by a male monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus; see this Wikipedia entry).  It is identifiable as male by the small black spot thickening the vein closest to its body on the hind wing.

Another quite stunning flower along the banks of the wetlands at Huntley Meadows is the cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis, see this Wikipedia entry), which I have also seen cultivated in a number of spots along 12th Street NW in Washington, DC.

Morning of August 6, 2010 (continued)

In the thicket on the south side of the W&OD bike path where it crosses the pipeline easement one can now find this bushy plant with sessile opposite leaves at its branching points and what appear to be five-petalled flowers in bloom.  This is flowering spurge (Euphorbia corollata, see this Missouri description and this Illinois article).  This plant is related to the poinsettia, and as with that species, the brightly colored structures are not petals, but rather modified leaves.

The shining or winged sumac (Rhus copallinum) is just about finished blooming, and the small seeds are beginning to set.  For how this plant will look in about six weeks, when the seeds have ripened, see this post from last September.

Another plant commonly found along the W&OD bike path that is now in the final stages of flowering:  the devil's walking stick (Aralia spinosa).  These plants have grown massively from the gnarled solitary sticks that first opened their buds in April, as seen in this post and this post.

As can be seen in this closer-up shot, the flower petals have now generally fallen away, and only the fertilized ovaries now remain that are beginning to set as fruit.

Devil's walking sticks lining both sides of the W&OD bike path, looking west from a point just west of the intersection of the bike path with Wiehle Avenue.  For how this scene will look in a couple of months, when the berries have turned black and the stalks bearing them are purple, see this post from last October;  the first picture there was taken from a point maybe 20 feet east of the photo here.

And a final shot showing sumac and devil's walking stick together in a thicket between the W&OD bike path and the W&OD gravel path just west of Wiehle Avenue.

Yet another striking plant that is now spectacularly in bloom is hollow Joe Pye weed (Eutrochium fistulosum, formerly Eupatorium fistulosum;  see this Missouri description, this Connecticut gallery, and this Wikipedia article).  This cluster is on the south side of the W&OD bike path, just east of its intersection with Isaac Newton Square and a couple hundred feet west of the devil's walking sticks shown just above.

This closer-up image shows the sagging flower heads composed of numerous tiny pink flowers that are very similar to the white-flowering thoroughworts seen in this post from last September.

The Joe Pye weeds are extremely popular with butterflies, such as the yellow swallowtail seen in this picture.  Two months ago these same butterflies were noshing on the flowers of common milkweed, as seen in this post;  remarkably, the milkweed flowers are the exact same shade of pink as the Joe Pye weed flowers.

The outcome of that earlier butterfly-noshing:  mature seedpods of common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca), taken from the same spot in the median between the W&OD bike path and the W&OD gravel path south of their intersection with Sunset Hills Road as the June flower shot referred to just above.

Hidden in the undergrowth along the south side of the W&OD bike path between Isaac Newton Square and Wiehle Avenue one can find this dainty flower with two bright blue lobes and prominent yellow false anthers.  This is Asiatic dayflower (Commelina communis, see this Missouri description);  the specific identification is enabled by the fact that it has only two rather than three blue lobes on the flower.

Finally, on the west side of the W&OD bike path just south of the Dulles Toll Road one can find this purple-flowering plant with protruding yellow anthers.  This is bittersweet nightshade (Solanum dulcamara, see this Missouri description and this Wikipedia article), which is an invasive relative of the Carolina horsenettle (featured here) and the tomato.  Note the small green fruit (quite poisonous) in the upper left corner of the image.

June 22, 2010

This tall, narrow, single-stemmed plant with trifoliate compound leaves is now sprouting up like crazy along roadsides and in grassy areas.  It is a form of bush clover (Lespedeza spp.) and, based upon the pointy spike at the end of each leaflet, appears to be the highly invasive silky or Chinese bush clover (L. cuneata, for which see this Illinois description and this Missouri description).  For how this plant looks in the fall after going to seed, see this post from last October, where I misidentified it as Scotch broom, a related trifoliate legume (this did not burst into yellow flower in spring as predicted;  as a matter of fact, the plants have really emerged only in the last month or so).

This tall spindly plant with tiny white flowers can be found north of the W&OD bike path between Isaac Newton Square and the driveway for the Oak Hill Christian School.  It is white sweet clover (Melilotus albus, see this Missouri description), yet another highly invasive trifoliate legume.

At the edge of the parking lot for 1801 Robert Fulton Drive, just south of the picnic area for the W&OD bike path, is this unassuming cluster of yellow eight-rayed flowers with very wiry leaves that are whorled around the stem.  This appears to be thread-leaved tickseed (Coreopsis verticillata), for which see this Floridata record.

In the median between the W&OD bike path and the W&OD gravel path just south of Sunset Hills Road is this small meadow of gently swaying perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne, see this Missouri description and thisOregon State treatise), just developing its inflorescence.

On the north side of the W&OD bike path just west of its intersection with Wiehle Avenue one can find this milkweed (Asclepias spp.).  It has rather narrower leaves than the common milkweed (A. syriaca) found elsewhere, and its inflorescence is at the apex of the plant, rather than hanging from its shoulders.  This appears to be swamp milkweed (A. incarnata, for which see Missouri description and this Illinois description).

The sumac (Rhus spp.) are now in bloom, as here on the north side of the W&OD bike path between Isaac Newton Square and the driveway for the Oak Hill Christian School.  This particular specimen is not the winged or shining sumac (R. copallinum) found more commonly around here (the leaf lacks the characteristic wings; compare this post from last September), but instead is smooth sumac (R. glabra, for which see this Virginia Tech fact sheet).

Further west, on the south side of the W&OD bike path just east of Old Reston Avenue, this sumac is already breaking out into fruit.  I wasn't able to quite get close enough to see what kind of sumac this is.

And finally, a nice illustration of how morning glories come by their name.  This is the same specimen of wild potato vine (Ipomoea pandurata) featured in this post from last week.  But whereas that picture was taken at 10 a.m., while the funnel-shaped flowers were at their peak opening, this picture was taken around 5 p.m. and shows the flowers rolled up against the day's heat.

June 8, 2010

This strikingly handsome purple-leaved small tree with wispy flowers is found on the south side of the W&OD bike path immediately west of the American Dream Way bridge.  There are several more specimens in the median between the W&OD bike path and the W&OD gravel path near the Fannie Mae Gardens.

This is a smoketree (Cotinus coggygria, see this Virginia Tech fact sheet, NC State fact sheet and this Wikipedia article), which is a relative of the sumacs

In a clearing south of the W&OD bike path across from the Fannie Mae Gardens is a thicket of this plant, whose flower resembles a small thistle but whose leaves and stems are far less spiny.  This appears to be a knapweed (Centaurea spp.), and may be the highly invasive spotted knapweed (C. maculosa, see this Missouri description and this Wikipedia article).

Pokeweed (Phytolacca americana) is beginning to bloom, as here on the north side of the W&OD bike path near Isaac Newton Square;  see this post from last September for how pokeweed appears once it fruits out.

 A couple of small flowering plants hidden in the grass west of the W&OD bike path south of Sunset Hills Drive.  The white five-petaled flower with prominent anthers appears to be Carolina horsenettle (Solanum carolinense), already featured before in this post from last October.  The small pink-flowered plant next to it with the reddish stem and comparatively large lanceolate leaves appears to be some form of knotweed, perhaps tufted knotweed (Polygonum caespitosum, compare this Virginia Tech weed guide and this Connecticut description), even though the Digital Flora of Virginia does not list this species.

No doubt about this species - this is common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca), now bursting into flower in this thicket on the south side of the W&OD bike path across from the Fannie Mae Gardens.

Close-up of an inflorescence.  Compare the Missouri description.

Milkweed flowers are apparently quite popular with insects.  Here is a shot with two large butterflies feeding on separate inflorescences;  these plants are located in the median between the W&OD bike path and the W&OD gravel path just south of Sunset Hills Drive and north of the Dulles Toll Road bridge.

And here is a shot with a bee of some sort.

Late morning of June 4, 2010

The eastern redbuds (Cercis canadensis) have now leafed out and developed their characteristic pod-fruit.

Another view of this specimen, located at the Fannie Mae Gardens overlook on the W&OD bike trail just east of Old Reston Avenue.  For a look at this same specimen at the height of its bloom almost two months ago, see this post.

An easy-to-miss cluster of small pink flowers on the south side of the W&OD bike trail opposite the Fannie Mae Gardens.  These plants have the five-petaled flowers, characteristic bud shape, and lanceolate leaves of Deptford Pink (Dianthus armeria, for which see this Illinois description and this Missouri description).

A much more noticeable pink flower at the moment is crown vetch (Coronilla varia), which is now in full bloom and can dominate entire meadows, as here on the south side of the W&OD bike path just west of the American Dream Way bridge.

A closer look at this patch, showing the sheer abundance of flowers, as well as the pinnately compound leaves that are characteristic of the Fabaceae family.

The common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca, compare this Missouri description) is getting ready to bloom, as here on the south side of the W&OD bike path near the Fannie Mae Gardens.

There is another plant with broadly elliptical leaves that are opposite and have a prominent midrib - this is Indian hemp, a form of dogbane (Apocynum cannabinum, compare this Missouri description), and it is now in full white bloom.

This particular specimen grows in a meadow full of dogbane plants on the south side of the W&OD bike path where it crosses the pipeline easement.  The other prominent plant in this meadow is a grass with a single-spiked head;  this is timothy grass (Phleum pratense, for which see this Missouri description).

Another patch of blooming dogbane can be found at the southeastern corner of the intersection of the W&OD bike path with Wiehle Avenue.  For how this particular patch looked last October, with ripe seed pods, see this post; and for how it looked this past March, with some dessicated pods still remaining, see this post.  In the foreground of the current image, one can still see a couple of pod remnants.